Interviews
The Young Knives talk to Britsound
Interview with the Young Knives, June 2008
RQ: First question is how are you coping with the extreme heat?
Oliver: We're drinking a lot of water. We’re still sort of reeling from the jet lag and it’s all a bit disorientating but yeah, we’re trying to drink through it in true British style. We’re having a whale of a time. It’s halfway through it now.
RQ: So tomorrow you play the Mercury Lounge. What is your take on New York? I mean, we could talk about America but what do you like playing in New York?
Oliver: It’s a bit double trendy for us, so we’re not used to being the un-cool kids that we are. But yeah, we just embrace it I guess. We’re not used to the late nights and the rock and roll lifestyle over here. But no, we like playing to new people and they happen to be New Yorkers, which is fine. I just bumped into Henry actually, which is weird. So we can do a three-way interview if you want.
RQ: I do have one question for Henry.
Oliver: Okay. Do you want to ask him now? Because he’s just next to me.
RQ: Yeah, one question if that’s alright.
Henry: Hello man.
RQ: Hi Henry, I’ve got a question for you, mate. On your blog, you wrote its 35 degrees here, I’m a fatty. It doesn’t mix well. So my question is, how are you surviving in the heat?
Henry: I just bought me some groovy, very short shorts from a thrift store. Yeah, I’m just going to rock around it with that look for the next few days. I think it’s a strong look. [Laughter]
RQ: How much did you pay for them?
Henry: Ten dollars, maybe eight dollars. They’re kind of like lime yellow. They’re very Beach Boys. I think I’m going to fit right it in Brooklyn with that look, rocking on!
RQ: Absolutely. So you’re going back to the UK shortly?
Henry: Yes, we’re going to go. We’re only here for four or five days so we’re going to go back on Tuesday or something like that.
RQ: And you’re playing this really small gig to 150 people in Bethnal Green?
Henry: Yeah, we’re going back to do a final little Glastonbury warm-up festival in a very trendy part of London, which is just for fun though. And it’s nice to get back and do little gigs like that just to keep you on your toes. With more intimate gigs, you feel like you have to work harder. People are right in your face, when doing a gig like that, which is good for you. It’s character building.RQ: Which do you prefer? Which do you find more enjoyable, the smaller gigs or the festivals?
Henry: I don’t really have a preference. I kind of like both of them. They have different things for me. The big gigs are exciting. The noises of the crowd are pretty exciting and obviously you get to play in front of a lot of people so you get to influence a lot of people at that. It’s a big happening, isn’t it? When you got a lot of people in front of you. But then the intimate gigs, I think you get more of a passionate performance out of it, really. And the audience gets a much more intense experience, if you know what I mean.
At a festival you can just chat with your mates and walk in and out and go and get a beer and all that. And then in an intimate space, you’re thrust into it and part of it. Do you know what I mean? So they’re both kind of nice. I mean, I like watching bands in both environments as well.
RQ: So Oliver, what’s it like playing to American audiences as opposed to British? Is there a big difference, in your opinion?
Oliver: Response-wise, I think it’s a bit more friendly over here. I think they’re a bit more open to all that’s happened. I guess we’ve played to audiences, who are proper, arms crossed and looking nonplussed. But we’ve gone down pretty well so far. They seem to be into it. Lots of whooping and cheering and high fives. But yeah, they seem quite accepting of what we’re doing. At the party last night, actually, I met some nice people. So yeah, I think it’s going good.RQ: It’s now official that British artists, British bands, are doing the best in American charts since the original British Invasion of the 60’s.
Oliver: Yeah.
RQ: Why do you think that is, in your opinion?
Oliver: I don’t know. Perhaps it’s a little bit de jour. I guess, really, it’s a little bit trendy to have a quite distinct sound, I guess. I don’t know. I guess it’s just people are into it. I don’t quite know why. I’m not complaining, of course. But it’s certainly quite a healthy scene over here, for British bands. And I guess, it’s quite accessible now for British bands to tour here. I don’t know what it was like in the 60’s, but in terms of the business, British bands can come over here. It really makes sense to do a medium to long tour. You can make a bit of money and have a really good time and really enjoy yourself. So I guess it’s down to marketing and money. I don’t know.RQ: Do you think of yourselves, particularly when you’re outside of England, do you think of yourselves as being particularly English in your music?
Oliver: Not really. I mean, we’re influenced by English bands like the Small Faces and things like that, and Robert Hitchcock and stuff. But we don’t play on our English-ness too much. I guess we do sound like quite posh boys. We don’t play on it. I think Henry’s vocal style, he’ll probably deny it, has got a certain singular, very British sound. But again, it’s just down to what music we’ve been listening to and I guess where we’ve grown up in the midlands. We’re not hard up. I guess that comes across a little bit. But it’s not an intentional thing, I assure you.RQ: Are you happy with the success of Superabundance?
Oliver: Yes. We’re really happy with the album and it’s been really good fun promoting it. All the feedback we’ve had from fans and reviewers and stuff has been really positive. More so than our first album. I think some people have said it’s depressing. I don’t understand that. I think we’ve certainly got some introspective sort of lyrics but I think it’s quite a hopeful album. And hopefully, we’ll get another one.
RQ: Well that leads on to my penultimate question. Have you started writing songs for the next album?
Oliver: Yes, we’ve got a studio up at Henry’s and we’ve got everything still up there. So yeah, everything’s set up, ready to go. We’ve written a few things. I don’t know, we’ve not really hatched on to, I think yes we’ve written like three or four songs, but we’ve not hatched on to getting an idea behind the next album and sort of focus because we’ve been promoting this one. But ideas are coming into the fray, I’ll just say. So yeah, I think the next album’s going to be massive. It’s going to go gold, if that’s a good thing. [Laughter]
RQ: What have you enjoyed most about being successful?Oliver: It’s just good to carry on; we’ve got a little money and we can just, half work on our day jobs. Really, what it boils down to is being able to write, having the freedom. I mean obviously, there are some bands and they just have to have paying jobs to keep carrying on, but we’re lucky enough to have the freedom to write, and the time. So we do feel privileged in that respect.
